Halo: Ashes
"Ashes ashes we all fall down..." Starting the Fire A soft breeze rolled across the purple tower, although it was quite hot and misty because of the proximity to the city floor. Umbri stared down her rifle sights, aiming for the Prophet's head. She could easily end his life if the rifle wasn't a cut down variant. She took a breath, only checking for defenses. This Prophet, Gallant, was suspected of selling Forerunner artifacts to Sangheili nobles. They had already been taken care of, and the artifacts taken by Truth to a secure location. Now Umbri was tasked with punishing Gallant, but first she needed to get inside his terrace. She activated her Antigravity Pack and fluttered through the thick fog, using it as a cover to approach the terrace. Umbri touched down close to the edge, hiding behind bushes. She activated her camouflage and headed past several Sangheili Honor Guard soldiers, armed with their plasma rifles. Umbri pulled out her energy sword, jamming it into the closest's back and activating the blade, stabbing through him. The other turned and fired in disarray, and was dealt a swift end with a diced off forearm and a stab through the stomach. Umbri tossed them off the balcony, then headed inside. The door clicked open, revealing several more Honor Guards standing statuesque in the dim light. Umbri checked her wrist gauntlet, her active camouflage had only a few seconds left. She ran forward and leaped, the Elite's confused by the noise and firing at the spot she was standing beforehand. The door into Gallant' chambers clicked open as well, and the warriors charged down the hallway, colliding with the now closed door. Umbri had stabbed the door controls. Her camouflage was done with, for the time being, so Umbri crept around in the shadows of several lounging chairs. The Prophet was asleep in his Gravity Throne, a pipe in his hand, his feet above a throw pillow, his robes of soft silky linen draped down to the floor. Umbri stepped forward, balancing on her heels in case of an attack from behind. Her worst thoughts were realized when several white swords tips cut through the door and it clanked to the floor. The Prophet awoke and Umbri quickly grabbed him by his collar and jammed the sword up to his throat. "You drop that sword now heathen!" screamed the Honor Guard Ultra. "You leave, or I kill." The sword brightened close enough to Gallant' neck to startle the Ultra, who backed up slightly. Beneath her helmet Umbri smiled, and then as if in slow motion pulled out a plasma grenade, slammed it into Gallant' face, kicked him forward as a meat shield and turned to fly out the large church-like window. The plasma fire tore his body to bits and flashed around her as she flew out into the city sky, the explosion behind her ending the rest of the gunfire. Sitting in Rubble 3 hours later Umbri was sitting in her personal chamber, beneath her "fathers". The armor was strewn across the floor, she was sitting with it around her. On the holographic screen in front of her the fire she unintentionally started was now tearing apart the entire building. Top floor, to bottom floor, was ablaze. The door clicked open and Truth hovered in with a stern look on his face. "Umbri, how was your task?" "I apologize for the mess Father, I really do..." He patted her on the back of her bowing body, then hovered around to leave. "No problem, fires happen all the time..." The clicking sound signaled his departure, yet it clicked back open surprisingly. A small Unggoy stumbled in trying not to look at Umbri, handed her a note, and waited. Umbri grabbed it from his, or her, hand and read it. Re-assignment. From on onlooker, Umbri looked fine. From the Unggoy's view she looked like a dragon when she jabbed her arm out and smacked him against the wall. The angry Sangheili woman stood up and walked from the room. The Unggoy followed her. "Maam, uh, I need that note back..." Umbri stopped and threw it at him then continued her way down the corridor. In The Wind Truth sat in his throne, addressing the High Council with quick witted words that always seemed to win them over. For once, Umbri could care less. The 2 Honor Guards in front of the Council Chambers stepped aside as she marched up to the door and then inside. The session seemed to be ending as Councilor's and Prophet's shuffled by her, some wondering who she was. Regret laughed when Umbri stepped up and bowed to them. "Ha Truth, here comes the puppet." "Shut up you ignorant fool. Let her speak." "Father, why am I being re-assigned?" she said sadly. "I never ordered re-assignment." Truth was confused. "I did." Mercy spoke with his raspy voice, from the end of the 3 Prophet's chairs. "Mercy why would you do something like this?" Truth turned to him angrily, his hands clutching the arms of his chair. "You both do things to further yourselves, its high time I can too." Mercy smiled slightly, then floated over to Umbri. "Here" A small disk was placed in the palm of her hand "Go now." Umbri clenched her fingers around the disk then quickly departed. "How dare you Mercy...you'll question this move later." Umbri's Phantom floated across High Charity, the Jiralhanae around her nothing more than pests to her. Although they couldn't see her, she watched them pick at each others fur or scratch themselves lewdly. Umbri ignored the worst of it as the Phantom landed and the beasts shuffled around to exit. The docks were the one art of the city she arrived at, and never expected to leave through. Now she was walking to some kind of private vessel, for some kind of private mission, for some kind of project Mercy was preparing. She was less than amused. The same Unggoy from before bumped Umbri's leg, then looked up startled but kept his mouth shut as she placed her hand around his face. "Shh little one." "Mffmfmfmfmffmfffmfm!" "I said quiet. Now." Tears welled in his eyes slightly, and he shoved away and hid amongst the crowd. Umbri wiped her hand on the wall as she stepped into the docking tube, and it sealed behind her. Ahead the door was red. Odd, it should be unlocked. The door began to blink signifying the vessel's departure. Umbri turned quickly and started kicking in the door behind her. She wasn't about to get sucked into space. Breaking the Fall The cruiser's engine lit up bright blue as Umbri continued kicking the door. It wouldn't budge! Resorting to her last measure as the a small SlipSpace portal opened at the front of the ship, Umbri jammed her Energy Sword into the side of the docking tube, and cut it open. The cold of space struck her deeply, although not deadly since she had her armor on in full. The ship began to accelerate ahead fast and faster, the light sucked the ship in like a whirlpool. Umbri pushed her gravity pack at its highest setting and blasted into the door. It finally crumpled inward and she grabbed the side, everything else being sucked into the black of space. The automatic emergency doors turned on and Umbri leaped forward once more to safety. "Was that a trap?" Yes, It Was